Stories like this make flatbedding look better and better. Less pieces to count, anyway. :)

I'm new to all this, haven't even started school yet so this may be a dumb question. But if you can't watch them load how do you make sure it's loaded properly concerning weight distribution?

Once it's loaded. Move the trailer tandems to a spot where it would be legal and where you think it would be best. Then go to a CAT scale and scale yourself. It'll show you the weight on your steers, drive axles, and trailer tandems.

After you do it for awhile you'll start to know exactly where to move the trailer tandems.

Sorry for raising some of these threads from the dead, but it doesn't make sense to me to start a new thread on the same subject. If it is preferred, let me know.

Anyway, I had the same question, but also, how do you know if the load is properly secured in a sealed trailer?

Hey GOM, if you pick up a sealed trailer, you have no liability if the cargo wasn’t secured properly. The only thing you’re responsible for at that point is sliding the tandems to make sure you are legal at weigh stations along your route.

I had a load where the load assignment said “SLC” which means shipper load & count which makes it the shipper’s responsibility to load it properly & count it too. I go in the office & they have signs everywhere that driver has to count load. I refused. When asked to initial if I counted or refused to count? Of course I initialed that I refused.

This in one of my pet peeves with job. They want me to count thousands of boxes that most times are sealed in cellophane on pallets. Del Monte in south Jersey insists the driver “counts” the load. Again, the lumper is coming with 2 pallets on his forklift, how am I supposed to count a full pallet that’s stacked in whatever way they want.

If they want us to count properly? We’d have to be there for 8-10 hours watching them sort & stack each pallet. At a receiver, they had 1 lumper off load me. ONE! He would take out a pallet, break it down, count it & then sort it on separate pallets. Almost 10 hours I sat there.

Shipper:

The customer who is shipping the freight. This is where the driver will pick up a load and then deliver it to the receiver or consignee.

Tandems:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

Tandem:

Tandem Axles

A set of axles spaced close together, legally defined as more than 40 and less than 96 inches apart by the USDOT. Drivers tend to refer to the tandem axles on their trailer as just "tandems". You might hear a driver say, "I'm 400 pounds overweight on my tandems", referring to his trailer tandems, not his tractor tandems. Tractor tandems are generally just referred to as "drives" which is short for "drive axles".

CAT Scale:

A network of over 1,500 certified truck scales across the U.S. and Canada found primarily at truck stops. CAT scales are by far the most trustworthy scales out there.

In fact, CAT Scale offers an unconditional Guarantee:

“If you get an overweight fine from the state after our scale showed your legal, we will immediately check our scale. If our scale is wrong, we will reimburse you for the fine. If our scale is correct, a representative of CAT Scale Company will appear in court with the driver as a witness”

Join Us!

We have an awesome set of tools that will help you understand the trucking industry and prepare for a great start to your trucking career. Not only that, but everything we offer here at TruckingTruth is 100% free - no strings attached! Sign up now and get instant access to our member's section:

Apply For Paid CDL Training Through TruckingTruth

Did you know you can fill out one quick form here on TruckingTruth and apply to several companies at once for paid CDL training? Seriously! The application only takes one minute. You will speak with recruiters today. There is no obligation whatsoever. Learn more and apply here:

About Us

TruckingTruth was founded by Brett Aquila (that's me!), a 15 year truck driving veteran, in January 2007. After 15 years on the road I wanted to help people understand the trucking industry and everything that came with the career and lifestyle of an over the road trucker. We'll help you make the right choices and prepare for a great start to your trucking career.

Becoming A Truck Driver

Becoming A Truck Driver is a dream we've all pondered at some point in our lives. We've all wondered if the adventure and challenges of life on the open road would suit us better than the ordinary day to day lives we've always known. At TruckingTruth we'll help you decide if trucking is right for you and help you get your career off to a great start.